Silence

[chris2112]

I was wondering how many people here also have trouble saying ANYTHING sometimes. This has been absolutely killing me lately. Whenever I'm in a social situation, especially with people I've never met or are not my close friends, I can find myself not having said a word the whole night. Its usually only with groups because I have this problem much less with one on one conversations. The reason I'm so silent sometimes is unclear to me because its not so much that I'm afraid of stuttering (although it is definitely a factor) as it is I've been a covert stutterer so long that I'm so used to avoiding talking, which is making it hard to make conversation even if I do accept my stutter. It is so frustrating and kills my self esteem that I don't communicate with people, that I don't establish connections with people normally and am reduced to nothing but an image, very depressing right now but I do have hope that it can improve. just wondering if anyone else has/had this problem and what they have done to cope, any advice?

[Box of Clocks]

I don't really have any advice for you but I generally find that my stutter is a lot worse with groups of people than it is in one on one situations.

[squiggles]

This sounds like what I used to go through, especially back in high school.
I think it was because I was afraid of being too assertive, especially in a big group, afraid of being judged if I stuttered, or even afraid of being judged after scrambling around with words.

Because I had this my whole life, my conversation skills were definitely held back some, but I think we all have good conversation in us, we just have to leap out into that unknown.

Trust yourself.

[chris2112]

This sounds like what I used to go through, especially back in high school.
I think it was because I was afraid of being too assertive, especially in a big group, afraid of being judged if I stuttered, or even afraid of being judged after scrambling around with words.

Because I had this my whole life, my conversation skills were definitely held back some, but I think we all have good conversation in us, we just have to leap out into that unknown.

Trust yourself.

Wow.. that is just what I needed to hear, Thank you.

[redrangerftw]

i have the same problem. especially the one about having less problem with one on one convo >> less judgment. i've always been the quiet one in groups. only time when i'm not is when the group is all people i am comfortable with and know i have a stutter. The only time i speak is when i have to.. like when i need something or somebody asks me to, which is a really bad habit to say the least.
all i could think of is, seek other means of communication. ie the internet and text . learn no to care about what other people think about you. nobody's perfect.